81.   This session, two Republican congressmen from South Florida are battling over the sugar program.

82.   Under the current sugar program, farmers can obtain low-interest federal loans and post their crop as collateral.

83.   Under the current sugar program, the government provides loans to sugar producers.

84.   Under this scenario, representatives of sugar-growing districts would vote for farm program restructuring supported by House Republican leaders and the sugar program would be protected.

85.   Unlike many farm subsidies, the sugar program is financed through grower assessments rather than by taxpayers.

86.   Watzman, who recently wrote a study of the U.S. sugar program, said growers and processors concentrate their contributions on Agriculture Committee members.

87.   With a Republican Congress writing a five-year farm bill this summer, an influential, if incongruent, alliance is lobbying to abolish the federal sugar program.

88.   While the sugar program this year was modified from a price support program to an import quota measure, Gregg said the reforms have meant little.

89.   With the help of Dole and others, Congress has maintained a sugar program that keeps out imports and sets domestic sugar prices above world levels.

90.   A coalition of candy- and food-makers, consumer advocates and environmental groups that opposes the sugar program had urged the administration to let prices fall.